1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to parlor games and, in particular, to a board game in which players roll dice and draw cards to simulate the play of bowling in a bowling alley. More specifically, but without restriction to the particular embodiment hereinafter shown and described, this invention relates to a board game that combines the elements of chance and skill attendant the actual play of bowling.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
The art of parlor games relating to bowling has been contributed to by a number of proposed game devices including, for example, the devices disclosed by G. A. Kemp in U.S. Pat. No. 3,055,662 which issued on Sep. 25, 1962 and by J. J. Brumer in U.S. Pat. No. 2,148,102 of Feb. 21, 1939.
The Kemp bowling game device includes an elongated rectangular board having color coded lane areas in a triangular region with indicia representing ten pin spots in the standard configuration, a pair of color coded, cube-shaped dice, and four decks of corresponding color coded cards. One of the color coded dice indicates a card that provides the results of the first ball in a frame. The second die indicates specific pin lanes. Any remaining pins situated in the lanes that are turned up are deemed knocked over while any remaining pins outside the lanes remain standing.
Ten cube-shaped dice and a shaker cup comprise the Brumer game device. Each cube has one face representing a pin while the remaining faces are blank. The ten cubes are rolled from the shaker cup and if no pins appear face up, a strike is recorded. If any cubes show a pin up, they are rerolled. If on this second roll no pins appear face up, a spare is recorded. Absent a strike or a spare, the number of pins knocked down, as represented by the total of blank faces turned up, is recorded for each frame.
Previous bowling theme parlor games, as exemplified by those discussed above, have included components which result in completely random and unpredictable play. Thus, no game of this type has been proposed that incorporates a component involving some of the elements of skill required in the actual play of bowling in a bowling alley.